Dr. Langston Goes to Haiti

On Feb. 20 Dr. Langston of The NeuroMedical Center and 13 other volunteers from Louisiana embarked on a nine-day-long medical mission trip to Haiti. The team consisted of three physicians, four registered nurses, members from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, students and staff from Louisiana College, and several others.

Each volunteer brought very few personal items in their two 50-pound suitcases, leaving much room to fill with bandages, antibiotics, and other important medical supplies. The NeuroMedical Center Surgical Hospital donated an estimated $5,000 in medical supplies.

After arrival, the nurses and several others were asked to see patients at Good Samaritan Hospital in Jimani near the Dominican Republic border, while the physicians were asked to serve at an orphanage in Crouix des Boquet, a small town outside Port-au-Prince. Dr. Langston and the rest of the team from Louisiana saw an estimated 100 patients a day. They treated wounds such as crush injuries, skin infections, malaria, malnutrition, and strep throat.

Dr. Langston said, “Myself and many others on our team have been on mission trips before and the name of the game is flexibility. We treated children at the orphanage for a day and a half and then set up shop anywhere there was an abandoned building for people to come. One day our transportation didn’t show up, so we walked several miles to the next location with all of our supplies and equipment because we knew we had over 60 children waiting on us. We also made house calls if we heard about patients who could not travel to us. We traveled to see one girl who had received a severe leg crush injury; the family’s only way to treat it was wrapping a cloth around her leg. We were very fortunate to have just the right amount of medical supplies to carry us through our trip.”

Dr. Langston went on to say that while in Haiti “we saw very little of the Haitian government. Everything was being organized and run by international military units. A lot is being done medically and there is a strong Louisiana presence there. However, food is still a problem. We ate very little while there. The Haitian people still need a great deal of help with obtaining food.”

Dr. Langston remarked, “The most amazing thing about the trip was witnessing first-hand the Haitian people’s spirit of joy and resilience even in a time of grief. We have much to learn from them.” He said every morning at the orphanage the children would wake up before sunrise at 4 a.m. to sing two hours of praise music. He said, “It was a beautiful way to wake up, despite sleeping on the ground inside the orphanage compound.”

This trip was one of Dr. Langston’s most rewarding experiences. He said that he is a firm believer in the bible verse, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” He is already in the process of making arrangements to return. He encourages everyone to continue to support Haitian relief efforts by backing volunteers going to help.

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